AhPek Biker - Old Dog Rides Again

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

AhPek Facebook Foodie Round-up: 2025-03 March

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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures

AhPek Facebook Foodie Round-up:

March 2025

Still in Recovery Mode after the previous month's TKR (Total Kneecap Replacement) surgery; not so much eats while the AhPek has to take care of his diet during the healing process. I had to refrain from eating some of the seafood shown while my buddies dug in!

Stay tuned at AhPek Biker's FB posts for daily updates!

(Click on photos to link & comment at the original FB post, and also to get geo-tags of the eats places)

(NOTE: If you can't see the posts, please log out from your FaceBook first; to see ride blogs click here)

Birthday Spanish Dinner at Marta's Kitchen in KL Paella and Tapas, Sri Hartamas, KL – 1st March

Chinese Lunch with family from KL Penang, Sabah and Sarawak at Chef Hong – 2nd March

Dessert Time at Strangers at 47, SS2, Petaling Jaya – 2nd March

Yakiniku & Ramen Dinner with wifey & son at Kanbe Yakiniku, Mont Kiara Shoplex, KL – 5th March

Arabic Rice with Tandoori & Chili Garlic Naan at Tandoori & Naan, Block D Kelana Square, PJ - 10th March

Curry pup (Kalipok) Adventures: From Lady Street Vendor near HSBC Bank, Damansara Uptown, PJ – 11th March

Curry pup (Kalipok) Adventures: Big & Nice ones from AEON Big 1-Utama, PJ – 15th March

Take-away Economy Fried Meehoon-mee (Keng Chay Mee) – 15th March

Iberico Pork Fried Hokkien Noodles at Iberico Kitchen, SS2, PJ – 15th March

Seafood & Pork Noodles at 楊記海鮮麵館 Chef Yong's Recipe, Bandar Menjalara, KL – 18th March

French/Western Birthday Do at Cafe Bistrot David, KL – 19th March

Noodles Brunch at New Ban Lee Restaurant, Taman Ehsan, Kepong – 20th March

Fusion Noodles Family Dinner at Ren-ren Noodle, Seventeen Mall, PJ – 22nd March

Indian Lunch With Schoolmates at Kumar's in Bangsar Shopping Centre, KL – 24th March

Best Ang Koo Kueh from Ean’s Kitchen, KL – 28th March

Good Nasi Lemak & Local Coffee Abang Adik Express, Zenith Corporate Park, PJ – 28th March

Fusion Malaysian Lunch at Dancing Fish Malaysia in Bangsar Shopping Centre, KL – 30th March

Malaysian Street Food Reunion Get Together at House + Co, Bangsar Shopping Centre, KL – 30th March

Coffee by the Deaf at Chocolate Concierge, Bangsar Shopping Centre, KL – 30th March

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Sunday, March 2, 2025

AhPek Facebook Foodie Round-up: 2025-02 February

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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures

AhPek Facebook Foodie Round-up:

February 2025

Less foodie eats this month as the AhPek went for knee surgery and has to take care of his diet during the healing process. Some food were restricted like certain seafood (prawns, crabs, squid, and some fishes)

Stay tuned at AhPek Biker's FB posts for daily updates!

(Click on photos to link & comment at the original FB post, and also to get geo-tags of the eats places)

(NOTE: If you can't see the posts, please log out from your FaceBook first; to see ride blogs click here)

Hakka & Wantan Soup Noodles at Toast n Roast by Sean & Angie – 1st February

Very nice and juicy Papagan oranges – 2nd February

Seafood Dinner with Family at Restoran May ChiXuan, Damansara Perdana, PJ – 2nd February

Thai Kway Chap Lunch with Friends at Yim Yum SS4, PJ – 5th February

Extended Family Steamboat Gathering at Valencia, Selangor – 5th February

Potlach CNY Gathering at Friend's Place, Mutiara Damansara, PJ - 8th February

Dim Sum & Asian Cuisine at Léten Dim Sum & Asian Cuisine, Citta Mall – 12th February

Street Food Fest at Foodies' Nest, Starling, Damansara Uptown, PJ – 15th February

Double Birthday Dinner, the Tang Room, Starling Uptown, Petaling Jaya – 18th February

Bingsu Dessert Time Post-Birthday Dinner at Binq Damansara Uptown, Petaling Jaya – 18th February

Nasi Lemak, Chilli Pan Mee & Good Local Coffee at Abang Adik Express, at Zenith Corporate Park, PJ – 19th February

Triple Happiness Crozza and Spicy Gochujang Chicken Bagel at Christine's Sunway Geo before TCM appointment, PJ – 21st February

Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam & Ooomph Local Coffee at Abang Adik Express, at Zenith Corporate Park, PJ – 25th February

Mee Siam, Wantan Noodles & Oomphy Local Coffee at Abang Adik Express, at Zenith Corporate Park, PJ – 26th February

Naan and Tandoori Chicken at Tandoori & Naan, Kelana Square, PJ – 28th February

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Monday, February 3, 2025

Georgia & Armenia 2024 Day 15: Tbilisi To Kuala Lumpur

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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures

Georgia-Armenia 2024 Day 15: Tbilisi To Kuala Lumpur

(Nyonya lady photo seen at KLIA, photo courtesy of Tourism Malaysia)

Georgia-Armenia 2024 Day 15: 1st October (Tuesday)

Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Georgia & Armenia:
Day 15 - Tbilisi to Kuala Lumpur:
Tbilisi (Golden Ir-me_ni Hotel)>Tbilisi International Airport (Georgia)>Qatar Airways>Hamad International Airport (Doha)>Qatar Airways>KLIA (Kuala Lumpur / Malaysia).

This is page 15 of a 15-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.

< D14: Tbilisi 03 | Go to Other Days | D1: Tbilisi 01 >

Route recommendations, here're some tips on travelling from Mestia to Tbilisi:

1. Traffic Directions!

Driving in Georgia is left-hand drive, with a speed limit of 60 km/h in cities and towns, and 80 km/h in other areas unless indicated otherwise. Armenia is also left-hand drive, so in both Georgia and Armenia drive/cycle on the right.

2. Immigration & Customs Requirements

For Georgia, citizens of Malaysia do not need a visa to enter for travel purposes and can stay in the country for 365 days without a visa. The travel passport must be valid throughout the whole period of stay in Georgia. A blank page is necessary for an entry stamp. Click here for a list of countries that need visa entry. Click here for the Georgia E-visa application portal and click here for guidelines on the E-visa application which costs USD20 (30 days validity).

For both countries, after clearing immigration, one will have to go through customs. We had to carry our luggage personally through. They are green lanes for those with nothing to declare; for duty-free good exemption, click here for Georgia's regulations, and here for Armenia's. Our vans had to go through the vehicles' lanes.

For those bringing in personal medication (up to 31 days usage) into Georgia, do get a prescription from your doctor; click here for guidelines.

3. Getting to and around Georgia & Armenia.

Major airlines serve both Georgia & Armenia. We flew from KLIA Terminal 1 into and out of Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport via Qatar Airways, with transit at Doha. It would have been time-saving into Armenia via Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport; but we naively erred on the side of caution. Our airfares were bought during the MATA Travel Fair via promotions by the RHB Debit Card, the return fare cost us between MYR 2,800 to 3,200.
We got around both countries by using a local long-chassis Mercedes Sprinter Van with an extended rear luggage section for the 16 of us, and a Mercedes V-Class 7-seater van for another four of us who enlisted later. The rides were generally comfortable as most were on tarred roads with some stretches of gravel roads.
For harsher rides we used smaller local vans with drivers familiar to the rougher, steeper roads - this was to the Gergeti Trinity Church, Ushguli Village, Koruldi Lakes and Chalaadi Glacier.

There were a couple of free days to explore Tbilisi by ourselves, but it is possible to use the Uber Georgia app to get further around. Other ride-hailing alternatives are Bolt, Yandex and Taxi Maxim.

4. Places & Things of Interest

Enroute were several places of interest, some of which we visited and others we did not for lack of time (Note: click on GPS coordinates for a directional map to respective places):
a. Duty-free shopping at Tbilisi International Airport (თბილისის საერთაშორისო აეროდრომი) (GPS: 41.66953, 44.96464) and Duty-free shopping Hamad International Airport (Doha) (مطار الدوحه الدولي) (GPS: 25.26720, 51.55832).

b. Wall mural showing Malaysian sceneries and Malaysian culture at the international arrival hall of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur) (GPS: 2.74174, 101.70155).

5. Food

a. Breakfast:

An excellent inclusive Western/Georgian Fare at our homestay Margiansha House (GPS: 43.04041, 42.71321) in Mestia.

b. Lunch: Meals on board Qatar Airways Flight QR 256 from Tbilisi to Doha.

Chicken Biryani Rice or Beef Stew, with coleslaw, Chocolate Mousse, and tomato juice.

c. Dinner: Meals on Board Qatar Airways Flight QR844 Doha to Kuala Lumpur.

Thai Green Curry with Rice, Tomato Pasta, salad, mousse, apple juice, and tomato juice.

6. Tour Costs & Arrangements

Return air tickets bought during the MATA Travel Fair/RHB Debit Card promotions were between MYR 2,800 to 3,200.

The ground arrangements tour package included a 10-passenger van to take us around, starting from & returning to Tbilisi. It also included 3-star hotels/homestays. The charge per pax for this ground arrangement was at MYR7,400. This excluded meals (other than hotel breakfasts & 3 dinners at Mestia), airport transfers, most entry tickets and tips. This allows for individuals to have meals according to their own liking & budget. Allow per meal should be adequate.

On average, the overall tour cost worked out to be around RM950 to RM1,000 per day. For those interested in this tour, contact Eddie at +6012-6122600 for more details and updated costs.

For out-of-pocket spending, we exchange some Georgian Lari (GEL) and Armenian Dram (AMD) in the respective countries. Some brought along their Wise debit cards to use; one can pre-load the card with the local currency. Or let it auto-deduct the currencies existing in the card. We found that it deducted other currencies first before deducting Malaysian Ringgit.

7. Communicating with Each Other

When travelling in a group it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest. Georgia pre-paid sim cards are easily available and cost 5 GEL to 20 GEL, depending on the provider and the included benefits. While Armenian pre-paid SIM cards range from AMD 1000 to AMD 3000. Those in our tour group pre-ordered their SIM cards through our Georgian guide.

Those who use Maxis as their telco can purchase the Maxis Roaming Pass. The RM89 15-day Multi-country Roaming Pass covers many countries including Georgia, Armenia and Qatar.
The Pass can be bought before the trip with a designated starting time/date, BUT DO TURN OFF your data roaming just before the Roaming Pass expires OTHERWISE any subsequent usage will automatically trigger off the 1-Day Roaming Pass costing between RM29 to RM38 per day!

8. Communicating with Locals

At favourite tourist destinations, locals may speak fairly good English. In the smaller towns, locals speak some rudimentary English, and our local guide was most helpful in translating for us.

9. Weather

The average day temperature at Tbilisi was 12°C. While the average day temperature in Kuala Lumpur was 34°C.

Useful weather forecast sites for Georgia & Armenia is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.

10. Navigation

I used MapMyRide to track our routes and stops. Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.

___________________________________________________________________________

PRELUDE

A day earlier we had left Mestia for a long drive back to Tbilisi. It's almost a 500 km journey but we still managed to arrive in Tbilisii for dinner and a walk around the city.

Today we end our 14-day holiday in Georgia and Armenia, and fly back to Kuala Lumpur via Qatar Airways with a lay-over at Doha.

___________________________________________________________________________

DAY 15: TBILISI TO KUALA LUMPUR

Guided Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Georgia & Armenia:

Day 15 - Tbilisi to Kuala Lumpur:
Tbilisi (Golden Ir-me_ni Hotel)>Tbilisi International Airport (Georgia)>Qatar Airways>Hamad International Airport (Doha)>Qatar Airways>KLIA (Kuala Lumpur / Malaysia).

Most posts below are linked to my Facebook postings during the trip and are embedded here with some comments. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post for more details. If you can't see the posts, please log out from your Facebook first)

Good morning from Tbilisi, Georgia. A peek of the peak of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi from our hotel, the Golden Ir-me_ni.

Breakfast at the Golden Ir-me_ni. It's our last savouring of Georgian Food for the trip.

Heading for Tbilisi International Airport, along the Kakheti Highway. Passed by several uniquely designed building including the Tbilisi Airport Railway Station (აეროპორტი II) (GPS:41.67129, 44.96457) with it's golden dome architecture.

All checked in and ready to leave for Doha (Transit) and then onwards Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Do be wary of gypsy women hanging, we saw them hanging around the entrance doors. They were led away airport security soon.

Yahoo! Managed to get this Russian Beluga Vodka 🍾🍾 at the duty-free shopping of Tbilisi Tbilisi International Airport. Arising for trade sanctions due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict, it is now bottled in Montenegro. Lucky me, it was the last bottle on the shelves ☺️ 👍👍👍.

Meals on board Qatar Airways Flight QR 256 from Tbilisi to Doha:

Chicken Biryani Rice or Beef Stew, with coleslaw, Chocolate Mousse, and tomato juice. Being more spicy and full of spices, the Biryani Rice was a good change from Georgian Fare.

4:45pm (Doha Time, 9:45pm KL): A beautiful sunset greeted us on the landing approach to Hamad International Airport, Doha.

More views of the warm sunset at Hamad International Airport.

HaHA! The jokes on me!

The Russian Beluga Vodka is cheaper here from the Duty-free shopping outlets at Hamad International. And they have the premium limited-edition "Beluga Celebration" grade too.

Apparently after the Russians have sold the licensing to manufacture in Montenegro in 2023, so this vodka should now be more available worldwide.

Doha Time, 2:15 am; KL Time 9:15 pm, 2nd October 2024: Meals on board Qatar Airways Flight QR844 Doha to Kuala Lumpur. We had Thai Green Curry with rice, Tomato Pasta, salad, mousse, apple juice, and tomato juice. We went for the Thai Green Curry as it was the closest thing to Malaysian Food being served on board. How we wished that they had Nasi Lemak!

7:15am Malaysian Time - Dawn landing approach to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Mr. Sun peeping out through the clouds to welcome us.

Welcome home to Malaysia. It's good to be back. Nasi Lemak, Char Kway Teow, here we come!